Fortune’s Plaything
by sasha1600
Summary: Katie discovers that the universe has a strange sense of humour. Part of the Future Perfect universe.
1. Chapter 1

**Fortune'****s Plaything**

**Summary**: Katie discovers that the universe has a strange sense of humour. Part of the Future Perfect universe.

**Disclaimer**: Katie and Leigh are mine; the rest belong to other people.

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A/N: This is part of the Future Perfect universe, which features Katie and Leigh, the twin daughters of Tim and Abby.

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'Hi, Katie.'

'Uncle Tony? Why are you answering Mama's phone?'

'She's under a car at the moment.'

The quiet chuckle told him that Abby's daughter was more than used to such pronouncements. It was hardly the strangest reason why the forensic scientist would be temporarily unable to answer her own phone.

'Ok. Tell her I'll call her back later.'

There was an edge to her voice that made him ask, 'Is everything alright?'

'Aside from the fact that life is totally unfair and the whole damn universe is laughing at me? Sure. Just peachy.'

'Katie? Hey... what's happened?'

'You know how I'm stuck at this dead-end, pointless job, designing stupid video games? Because apparently having a PhD in artificial intelligence isn't enough to get a real job in this economy?'

'Just give it time, Katie. You've only been finished for two months. Things will....'

'Well, NOW I get to....'


	2. Chapter 2

Lt.-Col. Bill Montgomery glanced disdainfully around the open-concept office. He had to admit that the high-tech training simulation he'd seen demonstrated had probably saved a lot of lives, and that was the only reason he was here. That didn't mean that he had to like the fact that adapting the program, which had been designed for the Air Force, to meet the needs of his Marines, meant working with these... people.

'Scruffy' was an understatement. Hair that looked like it had been months since it had been combed, much less cut. Baggy shorts and cut-off jeans, sagging at the waist to reveal underwear, most of which appeared to be printed with assorted cartoon characters. Ancient T-shirts, usually stained, often riddled with holes. Even the guy in charge of the motley crew looked like he had just crawled out of his parents' basement after having spent the entire weekend playing some adolescent video game. Which, he thought ruefully, he probably _had_.

Montgomery wondered how on earth he was going to survive the six to eight weeks that he'd been told the modifications would likely take, having to work closely with whichever of these programmers would be making the changes.

It took all his Marine training not to visibly cringe when scruffy-guy-in-charge – _Derek_, he reminded himself, suppressing another wince at the memory of the 'we only use first names here, Dude' he'd been told in response to his inquiry about the man's surname – waved over a kid who looked about twelve years old.

'This is Gonzo...'

_Gonzo?_

'He worked on designing the original software - I mean, he helped write the original video game, before it even got turned into a combat simulation system for you guys - so...'

_Heaven help us_...

Just then, a young woman, her arms full of thick coil-bound books, shouldered open a door and stepped into the office. She was casually dressed in dark slacks and a light blue blouse, but compared to her co-workers, she may as well have been wearing a suit. Her shoulder-length hair was pulled back from her face, revealing a single gold stud in each ear.

'Gonzo is gonna be working with you on those changes you want. He's one of the best we have, so...'

Seeing that the young woman's path was blocked by the small cluster of people, Montgomery took a step back, clearing enough space for her to pass. To his amazement, her eyes flicked quickly to his collar.

'Thank you, Colonel.'

He returned her smile.

'Military family?'

'My parents both work for NCIS, and my sister is a naval aviator, stationed on the Seahawk.'

'And you design _video games_?'

'It's a job. I have a PhD from the Centre for Intelligent Machines, in Montreal, but...'

Montgomery turned his attention briefly back to Derek.

'I want _her_.'


	3. Chapter 3

'...anyway, my boss tried telling him that I've only been there a couple of weeks, and have absolutely no experience working with that combat simulation program, but he wasn't taking no for an answer. So now I have to get up to speed on the code for the thing, _and_ work with a bunch of Marines for the next two months or so, and...'

Tony burst out laughing.

'It's not funny, Uncle Tony!'

'Sure it is, Katie! You didn't think you'd escape entirely from the family business, did you?'

He was still chuckling when she hung up on him with an exasperated shriek.


End file.
